Ramadan fasting ameliorates oxidative stress and improves glycemic control and lipid profile in diabetic patients

The effects of Ramadan fasting on public health are important. The present study characterized the metabolic effects of Ramadan fasting and evaluated its influence on oxidative stress in diabetic patients. The current study was carried out in the city of Benha, Egypt, during the period from July 12, 2012 to October 4, 2012. This corresponds to 22 Shaban 1433 to 18 Dhul Al-Qi'dah 1433 in the Islamic Calendar. Two equal, sex- and age-matched groups (n = 40 each; age 55 +/- A 5 years) of non-diabetic subjects (ND group) and diabetic patients (D group) were recruited for this study. Parameters of glycemic control, lipid profile, and oxidative stress were measured pre-, during and post-fasting. Ramadan fasting reduced fasting blood glucose (FBG) insignificantly by 5.8 % and significantly by 23.0 % in the (ND) and (D) groups, respectively. Serum triglycerides (TG) and malondialdehyde (MDA) were lowered significantly by: TG (22.8, 22.1 %), MDA (54.3, 46.6 %), and total cholesterol (TC) and low-density lipoproteins (LDL) insignificantly by: TC: (4.7, 6.1 %), LDL: (4.0, 5.1 %), whereas high-density lipoproteins (HDL) were raised significantly by 6.7 % and insignificantly by 2.2 %, and blood glutathione (GSH) significantly by 52.6 and 59.4 %, in the (ND) and (D) groups, respectively. At 6 weeks post-fasting FBG, TG, TC, HDL, and LDL returned to levels indistinguishable from their baseline values in both groups, while MDA was maintained significantly lower by (25.7, 22.7 %), and GSH significantly higher by (26.3, 31.3 %), in the (ND) and (D) groups, respectively. Ramadan fasting improves glycemic control and lipids profile and alleviates oxidative stress in diabetics.